A one day satellite symposium, entitled: "Role of Environmental Chemical Exposure in the Etiology of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome" will be held in May 24, 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey, in conjunction with the 18th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO). The symposium includes 10 invited lectures on various aspects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) as they impact on obesity and its associated diseases, i.e., the metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular complications. An audience of over 100 attendees is expected. The symposium is framed around the following Specific Aims: 1. To bring together national and international leaders in EDC research in a meeting format that promotes debate how to integrate research findings into the risk assessment process. 2. To present the latest developments, including unpublished work, in important areas in EDC research, emphasizing new directions that should guide future research in this area. 3. To discuss the action of endocrine disruptors on multiple organ systems, and the consequences of early and late life exposure, as well as transgenerational components, on the development of obesity and its sequalae. 4. To integrate the strength of evidence derived from studies with cultured cells, laboratory animals and humans, that links EDC exposure to obesity and the metabolic syndrome. 5. To encourage participation of trainees and other young scientists in EDC research. This symposium represents a timely opportunity to bring a very important issue to the forefront of obesity research. It provides venue for presentations by leaders in the field, with ample time for discussions and informal interactions. It is anticipated that a proceeding of the meeting will be published in Cellular and Molecular Endocrinology. The diverse topics and their translational implications that will be covered at this meeting should be of interest not only to the National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), but also to other NIH institutes with vested interest in the obesity epidemics. These include the National Institute on Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This is an R13 application to support a one day satellite symposium on the role of endocrine disruptors in the etiology of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. The meeting will be held on May 24, 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey in conjunction with the 17th European Congress on Obesity.